Back To The Mother Kombucha Recipe
Make Back To The Mother Kombucha Recipe in just 24h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Brewing Base
Fermentation & Culture
Optional Flavoring for Second Ferment (single-batch suggestions)
Bottling & Equipment
Method
Brewing Base
- 1
- 2
Steep tea
Add the black tea (6 tbs) and optional green tea (2 tbs) to the hot sugar water. Cover and steep for 10–15 minutes, until the tea is strong and deeply colored. Longer steeping increases tannins that can affect fermentation balance.
- 3
Combine and cool
Remove tea bags or strain out loose tea. Add the remaining 10 cups of cold filtered water to the concentrated tea to bring the total to ~14 cups and help cool it down. Cool the sweet tea to room temperature (20–25°C / 68–77°F). This can take 1–2 hours. Do NOT add the SCOBY while the tea is warm—temperatures above about 30–35°C (86–95°F) can damage it.
Fermentation & Culture
- 4
- 5
Add starter tea and SCOBY
Gently pour 2 cups of room-temperature starter tea into the jar. With clean hands, place the SCOBY on top of the liquid. The SCOBY may sink initially and often rises within a few days as the new film forms.
- 6
Cover and secure
Cover the jar with breathable cloth (cheesecloth or tightly-woven kitchen towel) and secure with a rubber band. This keeps out dust and insects while allowing gases to escape.
- 7
Primary fermentation
Place the jar in a warm, stable, dark or out-of-direct-sunlight spot at 70–80°F (21–27°C). Ferment undisturbed for 7–14 days, depending on taste preference: 7 days yields a sweeter kombucha; 10–14 days yields a tangier, more acidic drink. Start tasting after day 7 by slipping a straw beneath the SCOBY and sampling a small amount.
- 8
Check new SCOBY and acidity
A new thinner SCOBY (pellicle) should form on the surface during fermentation. The liquid should smell slightly vinegar-like and not rotten or moldy. If you see fuzzy blue-green mold, discard the batch, sterilize equipment, and start over.
Bottling & Optional Secondary Flavoring
- 9
Prepare bottles and strain
When the primary fermentation reaches your desired balance of sweetness and acidity, remove the SCOBY and set it aside in a clean bowl with 1–2 cups of the finished kombucha (this will be your starter tea for the next batch). Using a funnel and fine-mesh strainer, pour the kombucha from the fermentation jar into clean swing-top bottles, leaving about 1–2 inches of headspace per bottle.
- 10
Add flavoring (optional)
For a ginger-lemon secondary ferment: divide grated fresh ginger (2 tbs), fresh lemon juice (2 tbs), and honey (if using, 1 tbs) evenly among the bottles. For berry flavor: divide 1 cup fresh berries or sliced fruit evenly between bottles. Add flavoring directly into bottles before sealing. The fruit or ginger will encourage gentle re-fermentation and carbonation.
- 11
Second fermentation (carbonate)
Seal the bottles tightly and leave them at room temperature (65–75°F / 18–24°C) out of direct sunlight for 2–5 days to build carbonation. Check bottles daily and release pressure if necessary by briefly opening and re-sealing to avoid over-pressurization. Warmer temps speed carbonation; cooler temps slow it.
- 12
Chill and finish
After desired carbonation is reached, refrigerate bottles for at least 24 hours to slow fermentation and settle sediments. Cold also helps reduce pressure. Strain and serve chilled. Pour gently to leave some sediment behind if desired.
- 13
Store SCOBY and reserve starter tea
Place the removed SCOBY and the reserved 1–2 cups of kombucha (starter tea) into a clean jar and cover with breathable cloth to keep as your 'mother' for the next batch. Store at room temperature out of direct sun for short-term (weeks). For longer storage, prepare a SCOBY hotel with additional sweet tea and starter tea in a sealed jar in the fridge.